Click It. BEAT picks of the week.

Lana Del Rey will be at L.A.'s El Rey Theatre June 3, 4, and 5. Tickets are on sale now.

Gourmet edibles from Barneys.

Show off your love of cake for breakfast!

Mark down the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on your calendars - April 21 and 22.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: via Lana Del Rey Web

Click It. BEAT picks of the week.

Joan Didion's latest book, a memoir (not her favorite word), Blue Nights, is out this week. On Wednesday November 16, she'll be in conversation with The Los Angeles Times' David Ulin at the Los Angeles Public Library.

Tower Heist looks so good! Director Brett Ratner will be at the ArcLight Hollywood on Friday November 4 for a Q&A following the 7:15 p.m. screening.

Meet Marky Ramone (and sample his marinara sauce!) at Whole Foods this weekend--in Venice on Saturday and in Westwood Sunday.

My favorite hair ties (made in Malibu)

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: Knopf

Advance Notice. Hero Complex Film Festival.

Ah, summer: the season of the movie blockbuster. But forget your Green Lanterns and Transformers, let's talk about the classics.

Think Superman, Star Trek, Iron Man. Throw in some Dick Tracy, and now you've got a film festival -- as in the second annual Los Angeles Times Hero Complex film festival, happening June 9-12. The paper's own superhero-comic-specialist-columnist Geoff Boucher will be hosting all the events, which will comprise of the above mentioned screenings coupled with Q&As with some greats, including Warren Beatty, Jon Favreau, Richard Donner and more. There's even a reported extra special message coming about the DC Universe with the screenings of the Superman movies.

Get your tickets now (single and festival tickets still available) and enjoy the true classic superhero.

The Los Angeles Times Hero Complex Film Festival takes place June 9-12 at the Grauman's Chinese Theater, located at 6801 Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood.

--Chau Tu

Check It. Byliner.

I read a really great piece this weekend in the L.A. Times, about the future of journalism. It seems, in fact, that it may be able to find new life in this digital age.

It will be greatly helped by the efforts of ambitious and passionate ventures such as Byliner. The digital-only publisher is devoted to bringing long-form pieces of journalism into the new age by enlisting well-respected writers and creating inventive, interactive packages to complement stories. Byliner's newest offering, for example, is a piece by William T. Vollmann on the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. The piece is all the great writing one would expect from Vollmann, without any page or word limits, and with intense attention to aesthetic appeal.

It's exactly the sort of product that shows how great journalism can still be, and can be for the future. Check it out, it's sure to be an inspiring way to start your week.

William T. Vollmann's "Into the Forbidden Zone" is available on the Kindle and the iPad for $2.99.

-- Chau Tu

Check It. The Los Angeles Times' Pulitzer Prize-winning pieces.

It was announced yesterday that our very own Los Angeles Times had won the Pulitzer Prize gold medal for its coverage of the Bell city council corruption scandal. The paper also celebrated the feature photography award with Barbara Davidson, for her images of people recovering from gang violence.

It's been a tough couple of years for journalism, and particularly the L.A. Times, so it's really wonderful to know that good work is still being done out there, and being appreciated. Check out the award-winning stories on Bell here, and Davidson's photography here. And congrats!

-- Chau Tu

Check It. 'The Possessed.'

Among the things I found under the Christmas tree this year, was this book "The Possessed" by Elif Batuman.

I'm always looking for new and interesting books, scouring the (online) pages of the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times for new reads outside my usual repertoire.

This was something that totally slipped under my radar, but was hailed by the L.A. Times' David L. Ulin as one of his favorite reads of 2010. From Ulin: "Part memoir of the academic life, part engaging inquiry into the pleasures of Russian literature, Batuman's debut is a bravura performance, a collection of essays about books and reading unlike any I've encountered before."

I'm definitely excited to start this! "The Possessed" can be found in paperback and can be found on Amazon.com for as low as $10.20.

-- Lauren Williams

Etc. Aaron Shannon Jr.

Every once in awhile, you read a news story that absolutely breaks your heart. I had this experience yesterday, reading Scott Gold's Los Angeles Times piece about Aaron Shannon Jr., a 5-year-old who was shot and killed in South L.A. on Halloween, while wearing his brand new Spider-Man costume, a gift from his grandfather who didn't want his grandson to have to be a bumblebee two years in a row although money for a new costume was tight.

You can, and should, read the full story here.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: Marvel

Check It. 'Eat Pray Love' shopping.

Inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert's travel memoir, Cost Plus World Market has started a line of Italy-, India-, and Bali-inspired items including jewelry, boxes, incense, candles, and even furniture.

Some of the things that are being sold are a bit cheesy, but I love the India-inspired wraps and bangles, and Bali straw hats and Tibetan prayer flags. The Republic of Tea movie-inspired tea bags, buddha candleholder, and goofy necklaces, I can pass on.

The Los Angeles Times' Jeannine Stein has more on other places that are offering exotic shopping deals inspired by the movie.

-- Lauren Williams

Advance Notice. LA Times Food and Wine Fest.

There's never been a better time than now to be a foodie in Los Angeles, but with the plethora of food trucks and food fests all over the place, it can definitely feel overwhelming. If you're curious but too busy or lazy (or both) to try and weed through all the options, the L.A. Times may have the answer for you.

The newspaper (full disclosure: we three here at the BEAT were previously employed there) is set to hold its Celebration of Food and Wine event on Sept. 5th (Labor Day weekend), and the schedule is packed with demonstrations, tastings, signings and discussions from the best and most popular chefs around. Among the many exciting names of those scheduled to appear: Michael Voltaggio (trust me, you won't want to miss his food), Ludo Lefebvre, Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, Mark Peel, Suzanne Goin and Betty Fraser, as well as food trucks like Coolhaus and The Buttermilk Truck. And on top of all that, there'll be a concert with the awesome She & Him.

Tickets for the entire event are $55 each, which may seem a bit steep at first, but considering you'll be stuffed with delicious grub and get to see great entertainment, it isn't so bad. And if you're not interested in any food (though upon arrival, you may find this decision regrettable), you can catch the concert alone for $40.

The L.A. Times Celebration of Food and Wine takes place at Paramount Studios in Hollywood on Sept. 5.

-- Chau Tu

Advance Notice. Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

The LA Times Festival of Books is one of those things in Los Angeles you plan your year around. Want to go out of town? Maybe later, the LA Times Festival of Books is next weekend.

This year, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is scheduled to be April 24-25, and will be featuring over 400 celebrated authors, and tons of exhibitors, you can peruse the UCLA campus, maybe pick up a new book, and listen to your favorite author read and discuss their latest bestseller.

Tickets to panels are $1 through TicketMaster (not including the "nominal" TicketMaster fee), but participating Ritmo Latinos and Macy's will be giving away tickets for free. You can also pick up free panel tickets at the Beverly Center.

There's also the "Panel Pass," where for $30 you get first dibs on five panels and a poster.

The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is scheduled to be held April 24-25, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.

-- Lauren Williams

Eat Out. First Cup Caffe.

When you're alone and life is making you lonely, you can always go .. downtown!

Petula Clark most likely didn't have First Cup Caffe in mind when singing her 1965 hit, but its positive nature is a perfect representation for me of downtown Los Angeles' First Cup Caffe. It's a couple blocks up from the Los Angeles Times building, opens at 6:00 a.m., and is a place where the coffee is always fresh, piping hot, and delicious.

They use Tully's Coffee, and it's self-serve from large pump thermoses. They have a variety of great flavors including Kona Blend, Madison Blend, and House Blend. It's a comforting thing to have a place where the coffee is always good.

The food at First Cup is as satisfying as their Tully's coffee. Buttery blueberry muffins, almond croissants, chocolate croissants, spinach croissants ... they know their pastry. Additionally, they have a full kitchen and can make such hearty breakfast items as bacon and egg bagel sandwiches. For lunch, they have salads and sandwiches (including panini). And for dessert, red velvet cupcakes. This place sounds awesome, right?

It's just as easy to take away as it is to eat in, where the simple cafe-style tables are adorned with little vases and flowers.

First Cup Caffe is located at 333 S. Spring St. in downtown Los Angeles.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: First Cup Caffe